Tuning In : Feelings Are a Signal
Tuning In : Feelings Are a Signal
by Debra Fileta , M . A ., LPC
22
The last time I was at the beach with my family , I met an older gentleman who was treasure hunting with his metal detector . He showed me how the detector worked , and the sound it made when it found something beneath the surface of the sand . He talked to me about some of the valuable things he ’ d found , as well as some of the false alarms .
This reminded me of the world I live in as a counselor : the world of emotions . Like a metal detector , emotions are the signal our body transmits as it ’ s assessing what ’ s going on underneath the surface of our lives . They bring our attention to the buried things we need to stop and pay attention to or deal with .
A significant part of having a healthy soul is being able to tune in to the signals , to recognize the real alarms and the false alarms , and to respond to them accordingly .
Unfortunately , many people grow up doing the exact opposite : They ignore their feelings completely . Many Christians fall into this category when they believe “ faith over feelings ” means they should ignore their feelings altogether . But that concept is neither healthy , nor biblical . In fact , those who live this way are actually ignoring their God-given signals instead of responding to them .
REACTING VERSUS RESPONDING To respond to an emotion means recognizing the feeling , getting to the bottom of what it might mean , and then choosing to act in a way that is beneficial to yourself and those around you . The opposite is reacting to an emotion : shutting down or withdrawing when you feel frustrated , shouting or cursing when you get angry , or defaulting to an addiction to numb any uncomfortable feelings . Instead of using the feelings to help you heal , you use the feeling as an excuse for unhealthy behaviors . Remember , feelings are not bad or good ; they are simply signals . It ’ s how we respond to feelings that leads us down healthy or unhealthy paths .
JESUS WAS EMOTIONAL The healthiest person to walk the face of this earth was a man in tune to His emotions . Jesus allowed Himself to feel the signals His body transmitted . When He felt something , He recognized the signal and then responded accordingly .
Jesus responded to His sorrow with gratitude to God the Father ( John 11:40- 41 ), to His exhaustion by setting limits ( Luke 5:16 ), to His anger by pursing justice ( John 2:13-22 ), to His compassion by practically meeting the needs of those around Him ( Matthew 14:13-21 ), and to His agony by choosing truth in response to the pain His body was experiencing ( Luke 22:44 ).
Jesus didn ’ t just feel ; He responded to His feelings in a healthy way .
Emotions are God-given signals to help you pay attention to the things going on beneath the surface of your life . As we care for our souls , it ’ s our job and our job alone to tune in to the signals and respond accordingly .
Adapted from Soul Care by Debra Fileta (© 2024 ). Published by Harvest House Publishers . Used by permission
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